Roy A. Filly, M.D., Emeritus Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, of Surgery, and of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco

Ultrasound is a unique imaging modality due to the variability of image acquisition. Unlike other modalities where images are acquired linearly with fixed slices in a predictable order, ultrasound requires flexibility and a unique skill set to obtain diagnostic images. Surgical bandages, overlying bowel gas, anatomical variability all impact the quality of the study. While other cross-sectional imaging provides a holistic view of the internal anatomy of a patient, ultrasound can be thought of as a flashlight interrogating a dark room. If an area isn’t illuminated, it just isn’t seen. Read Complete Paper

As changes in the Radiology landscape are brought on by both healthcare reform and radiation dose minimization efforts, departments will likely experience an escalation in the volume of ultrasound studies performed with an even greater need for accurate diagnoses and optimized workflow.With the use of Picture Archive Communication Systems (PACS) over the past two decades, the practice of radiology in healthcare facilities is more organized and efficient, however, the communications process between ultrasound and PACS remains suboptimal. Read Complete Paper

Implementing ultrasound DICOM structured reporting tools yields a significant improvement in dictation times over conventional reporting methods, according to a study presented on Friday at the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) meeting. Using DICOM structured reports from ultrasound systems to automatically fill in measurement values in dictation templates significantly reduces dictation time, representing potential time savings of nearly seven days a year for the institution, according to presenter Dr. Steven Horii from the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Read Complete Paper